Incidence of Sickle Cell Anemia in Children Aged 5 to 10 Who Attended Morning Session at Pueblo Nuevo Cotuí Elementary School, 2005-2006

Abstract

This study, conducted March–April 2006, aimed to determine the incidence of sickle cell anemia among children aged 5–10 attending the Pueblo Nuevo morning basic school. A non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional design was used. The study population totaled 804 students (368 afternoon shift, 436 morning shift); after restricting to ages 5–10 in the morning shift, the population was 323, from which a sample of 163 was drawn using Morgan's table (1970). Variables assessed included demographic characteristics, sickle cell anemia incidence, parental sickle cell trait history, and disease phase. Incidence was found to be low overall but rising in Pueblo Nuevo and Santa Fe sectors, particularly among 1st- and 3rd-grade students aged 7–9; common manifestations included skeletal and renal effects and hepatic crises, more frequent in females, with the chronic phase more common than the acute phase. The study calls for coordinated institutional action to develop diagnostic and follow-up programs for affected schoolchildren.

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